EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) – State regulators have officially approved a contract for Georgia Power to serve a massive new OpenAI project in Effingham County. Georgia Power announced Wednesday that the agreement has cleared the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) regulatory process. The 3,200-megawatt (MW) project is part of a growing portfolio of “large-load” contracts expected to generate $950 million in annual system savings beginning in 2029. Because of this growth, Georgia Power says typical residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see their expected savings increase to about $15 per month ($180 per year) starting in 2029. This is up from a previously projected savings of $102 per year. Under the contract, OpenAI will fully fund the infrastructure needed to support the project. The tech company has also committed up to 1,000 MW of “flexible demand response,” meaning Georgia Power can reduce energy delivered to the facility during times of peak statewide electricity demand. “Data centers are paying more so families and small businesses can pay less, and our goal with every contract we sign under this framework is to deliver value for them,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. This approval follows a base rate freeze approved by the PSC in July 2025 and a rate reduction plan approved in May 2026. Copyright 2026 WTOC. All rights reserved.
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